Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania and Citizens Launch Pittsburgh’s First Stock Market Challenge

PITTSBURGH, September 24, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania (JA), in partnership with Citizens, is thrilled to announce the launch of The JA Stock Market Challenge, a dynamic competition designed to teach students the fundamentals of building savings, long-term investment strategies and financial management. Taking place on December 12 at Stage AE on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, this fast-paced experiential learning opportunity, will provide 200-300 local teens with hands-on understanding of the stock market and global financial markets.

As Citizens celebrates the 10th anniversary of its initial public offering (IPO), this collaboration highlights the bank’s commitment to fostering financial literacy among the next generation of investors. The launch of Pittsburgh’s Stock Market Challenge is part of the expanded financial empowerment programming funded through Citizens recent $75,000 grant to JA of Western PA. Together, Citizens and JA of Western PA strive to equip students with the resources and skills needed to make sound financial decisions that will set them up for success.

“We’re thrilled to continue building on our commitment to financially empower our youth and communities through our partnership with Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania,” said Mark Rendulic, Citizens’ Western Pennsylvania President. “The Stock Market Challenge is an exciting, real-life initiative that will provide students with the skills to manage money, save, and invest.”

The event will simulate a live trading floor, where participating students will experience the fast-paced thrill of the stock exchange. Once the opening bell is rung, the market opens and every 60 seconds is a new trading day. Teams will evaluate trends and compete for the attention of floor traders to make trades, buy, and sell shares. Top-performing teams will be awarded prizes, with $500 going to the first-place team, $300 to the second, and $25 gift cards for each member of the third-place team. The competition challenges participants to think quickly and react to real-time market shifts, simulating the fast-paced environment of actual stock trading. 

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“This initiative is a pivotal opportunity for high school students to ignite their financial journey. Through a stock market simulation, students will learn investing and financial management essentials and gain confidence for their financial futures. This challenge reflects Junior Achievement of Western PA’s commitment to empowering the next generation with crucial financial knowledge and skills,” Patrice Matamoros, President of Junior Achievement of Western PA. 

Leading up to the event, participating students will engage in the JA Take Stock in Your Future program, an in-depth curriculum that introduces them to the world of stocks and investing. Designed for students in grades 9-12, this program explores the basics of stocks, current market trends, long-term investment strategies, and the risks and rewards associated with their decision-making. For more information on JA Take Stock in Your Future click here.

Source: Junior Achievement of Western PA